#women dresses fashion 2017

[knittinganddrinkingtea]

Ymre Stiekema by Xavi Gordo for Grazia Italy March 2017

[selenagomez92]

Selena Gomez x Met Gala 2017.

[lylichouchou]

🩰🖤

[inpariswetrust93]

[sometimesitsvalentinesday]

Rosie Assoulin

Resort 2017

[schnaideranton]

[marzipanandminutiae]

Do you think there's a problem with period pieces and media set in "medievalesque" settings putting characters in clothing that has a stronger resemblance to prom dresses and ball gowns than anything from the medieval or premodern period?

I've sent a similar ask to Oldshrewsburyian where I brought up that fashion for women in Westeros exposes far more skin than in the real middle ages. I said that in comparison to fanart which depicts the characters in historically accurate costumes, the clothing as described in ASOIAF feels "cheap" which in hindsight I regret. I didnt mean to say that its wrong for women to dress revealingly, but I wanted to express my feeling that historically accurate clothing fits the "medieval fantasy" look more, and I was influenced by bad costuming in general that make the female characters wear modern-looking dresses.

Real fashions during the late medieval and renaissance looks more aesthetically pleasing to me because they are a lot more elaborate with embroidery and multiple layers. In contrast, the costuming in movies such as Maleficent and 2017 BATB puts Aurora and Belle in rather disappointingly undetailed gowns.

I dont read ASOIAF and admittedly the book often describes very elaborate garments, but Ive read posts on tumblr discussing Cersei's wardrobe and they imply that her dress is just one layer with a slit down the side like a modern dress.

I mean...I don't really care because it's a fantasy world. Westerosi fashion can be whatever the designers want it to be; it's not Earth history.

Does it visually appeal to me as much as real medieval fashion would? Some of it, yes, and some, no. I AM capable of thinking non-historical dresses are pretty, believe it or not. To be honest, based on what little I've seen of the show (before I noped out due to the near-constant sexual assault or threats thereof, to female characters), I was just impressed that the fashion logic was internally consistent. Different regions have different trends based on their aesthetics, climate, available materials, etc.; the styles change when someone new comes into power or an existing ruler changes their look. It WORKS like real fashion, so that makes more of an impression on me than what it actually looks like.

Now, if it was actually claiming to be our history a la Reign, I'd have a bit more frothing at the mouth in response.

[wintfleur]

⚘ ˖˙𓈒ִֶָ☾.˙ ᰋ ── WHERE’D ALL THE TIME GO?

aka ophelia’s timeline

━━━ ❛ it’s starting to fly

ᯓᡣ𐭩 EARLY LIFE & SCHOOLING !

april 11th, 2002: ophelia is born on a bright and sunny Thursday afternoon in Vernon, British Columbia.

may 9th, 2006: ophelia (4) takes her first ballet class

2008 - 2013: early childhood / elementary school

august 2010: ophelia (8) joined the soccer team and met her now best friend Amber Jameson; they have been inseparable since.

october 2013: ophelia (11) got an ankle injury during a soccer game and sadly had to quit the sport. Her love for ballet was stronger and she didn't want to risk not being able to dance again.

She had to stop dancing for the rest of the year so her ankle could heal, it was miserable for her.

2013 - 2016: start of her teenage years / middle school

march 2015: ophelia (12) joined the theater club and helped make the costumes for their play, in turn finding her love for fashion designing.

april 2016: ophelia (13) went to get her photos taken for her ballet portfolio and was approached by a teen modeling agency.

summer 2016: ophelia (14) went to south korea for a ballet summer intensive program.

She was housed by a sweet family, where she met one of her bestest friends seunghan and his younger brother park sunghoon who is her age. Seunghan is a fellow ballet dancer and went to the training camp with her.

Ophelia became very close with the family, only becoming closer with them as the years go by, she's an honorary park! Seunghan’s parents think of her as their own child and his little sister thinks of her as her big sis!

2016 - 2020: teen years / high school / start of her modeling career

december 2016: Ophelia (14) was on the cover of pointe magazine.

june 2017: ophelia (15) won first place in the Helsinki international ballet competition, in juniors for women.

august 2017: ophelia finished her first wedding dress that she made for her cousin's wedding.

may 2018: ophelia (16) won first place in the american ballet competition

july 2018: ophelia won first place in the varna international ballet competition

was invited to be on jimmy fallon after her win.

february 2019: ophelia (17) made her debut by walking the catwalk and attending the New York fashion week.

may 29th - june 2, 2019: ophelia walked and attended the miami fashion week

september 2019: ophelia walked and attended the paris fashion week

october 9th 2019: the creation of ophelia's youtube channel

Ophelia created her youtube channel so she could have another way to communicate and become closer with her fans.

She mainly posted vlogs of her days as a model and a ballet dancer, and her just traveling and doing random activities with her friends.

december 2019: ophelia walked and attended the NYFW: December pre-fall and fall-winter, fashion week.

february 2020: ophelia walked and attended london's fashion week, fall-winter.

Ophelia meets Ryan James, a fellow model, they exchanged numbers and Ophelia then got in a relationship with him in may.

June 2020: Ophelia (18) graduated highschool with honors.

july 2020: ophelia moved into her apartment/loft in manhattan, New York. With her best friend seunghan.

Throughout 2016 - 2020 ophelia modeled for many different high end brands, her favorites being Dior, Dolce and Gabbana, and GQ.

She was given the nickname “the next model it girl” for her sudden dominating presence in the modeling world.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 JUILLIARD & JACK !

september 2020: ophelia (18) starts her first year at juilliard

february 23 - march 1st 2020: ophelia walked and attended milan’s fashion week

march 2 - 9th 2020: ophelia walked and attend paris fashion week

Throughout the rest of the year ophelia really focused on her ballet career, putting modeling to the side, and focusing on her studies.

march 2021: ophelia (19) won the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP)

may 2021: ophelia won first place in the american ballet competition

july 2021: ophelia won first place in the varna international ballet competition

for the rest of the year, Ophelia modeled for many different brands, but she really just focused on her ballet career and getting more known in the fashion design world.

2022 : breakup era

april 11th 2022: Ophelia (20) broke up with Ryan after finding out he has been cheating on her for many months.

april, may, june, july 2022: ophelia took a break from anything that evolved with modeling during those months, trying to heal from her breakup. Throwing herself into training, practices, and her studies.

august 2022: ophelia modeled for celine as her comeback into modeling

was invited back on the jimmy fallon show where they talked about what she's been up to, the celine shoot, and her comeback to modeling

october 6-9th 2022: ophelia walked and attended los angeles fashion week

november 2022: ophelia was interviewed by WIRED where she talked about ballet and modeling and her love for fashion design

2023: meeting jack

march 3rd 2023: curtis gets traded to the new jersey devils

march 28th 2023: ophelia and Jack meet for the first time at a club and share a kiss.

april 18th 2023: ophelia joins curtis out at a bar to meet some of his teammates, and she sees jack for the first time since the club.

they keep what happened at the bar to themselves (besides Jack freaking out about it to Luke), and pretend to just meet each other for the first time.

april 25th 2023: ophelia and jack run into each other at a bar, things escalate and jack ends up bringing her back to his place where they hook up for the first time.

the next morning they talk about what happened, and how they need to keep what happened between them a secret. They want to keep seeing each other, so they decide to become friends with benefits.

july 2023: ophelia models for calvin klein

july 17th 2023: jack confesses his feelings to ophelia after 3 months of being friends with benefits.

Ophelia didn't take it well and left his apartment in haste (girly was afraid of her feelings and commitment) and they didn't talk for two weeks.

july 31st 2023: ophelia goes to jack’s apartment where she apologizes and asks him on a date.

august 1st 2023: jack and ophelia have there first date and officially start dating (secretly)

november 6th 2023: curtis holds a dinner at his home for his teammates, curtis finds jack and ophelia kissing in the garage and did not take it well.

curtis gives her an ultimatum ‘him or me’ in a moment of anger and that leads to ophelia not talking to either of them for a week, locking herself in her apartment.

november 14th 2023: curtis comes to see her early in the day to apologize for his reaction and what he said, later in the day jack comes to see her and they have a sweet moment, happy that everything is now okay between them.

january 12th 2024: ophelia and jack said i love you for the first time

january 24-28 2024: ophelia walked and attended miami fashion week

february 9-14th 2024: ophelia attended new york fashion week fall-winter

february 16th 2024: ophelia and jack's relationship is exposed to the media when videos and pictures of them at the njd’s family skate go viral.

february 26th - march 5th 2024: ophelia walked and attended paris fashion week

may 2024: ophelia did the 73 questions with vogue

june 2024: ophelia did the “10 things I can't live without’ with GQ

may 6th 2024: ophelia (22) attended the met gala for the first time

ophelia did a get ready with me / last looks with vogue for the met

june 2024: ophelia did diary of a model with vogue

july 2024: ophelia and jack do a couple quiz with GQ

may 2025: ophelia (23) graduates at juilliard

ᯓᡣ𐭩 WHAT'S TO COME !

aka phia and jacks future

. . . to be added

ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓇oro's note. I didn’t add every detail about her modeling and dance career in the ‘julliard and jack’ section, it would have taken forever for me to do that 😭 I will update the timeline as time goes! I hope this helps give you a better understanding about the AU >.<

au masterlist

˖ ་ feel free to send in any thoughts/requests you have !! And please let me know if you want to be added to the taglist mwah

˖ ་ taglist : @yoontwin @toasttt11 @winterbarnesblog @iceflwers @cixrosie @bunbunbl0gs

[kookyburrowing]

and so now that i have your attention here are the couture looks i think fox would ABSOLUTELY rock. note these are from women’s collections bc a) fuck gender roles and b) men’s fashion is very meh. there’s no drama.

This is look 23 from their spring 2024 collection. despite my bitching about the awkward number of looks, this is a collection I do really like. Sigh. Fox would like this outfit for two reasons. First, the cut would emphasize his shoulders and thus make him more intimidating. Second, it’s very elegant, but not particularly elaborate, making him stand out in a room filled with whatever nonsense the Senate put on today (cough Palpatine cough).

This is look 28 from the same collection. A bit more elaborate, and again shoulders are emphasized. It allows for a more formal setting with retaining freedom of movement.

This is look 15 from FW2019. A lot more elaborate, but easier to hide weapons in and the pants allow for greater flexibility. Also: POCKETS. more importantly: SUBTLE POCKETS. for knives ❤️❤️

This is from Galla Lahav’s spring collection in 2017. I don’t know the exact look number because I found it through pinterest but I think this works for a dinner or something because it’s less outlandish and more practical. (Dinners are usually SIGNIFICANTLY less formal than things like balls and galas btw).

I’m stealing the coat and running. This is from Dior’s Spring 1998 collection, and I love the shawl/cape thing, but the dress? Eh. Not a fan.

Zuhair Murad AGAIN. they really said “let’s serve cunt constantly” tbh. This is look 2 from their FW2022 collection and I have actually used this in writing wherein Fox wears this (or a modified version of this, with knee-high flat heeled boots) to an opera. Sorry I just HATE thigh high boots with a passion.

YET AGAIN. ZUHAIR MURAD. This is very “oh no the Chancellor died! of natural causes im sure” which is why I love it for Fox. he’s got a femme fatale vibe. to me.

I cannot for the life of me remember where I got this one. If someone else could find it it would be HIGHLY appreciated. I like this bc it’s giving a Sith AU and idk man. The concept of Fox becoming a Sith fascinates me.

tagging @sevdalinkas because they said I could and also i genuinely thought i had more than this? alas those were all rtw not couture. SIGH.

[thelibraryghost]

A Young Person's Introduction to Early 20th-Century Western Fashion

am i hip with the kids yet

General information Dotschkal, Janna. "1920's." FOUND. October 21, 2016. English Heritage. "Fashion Through History: Episode 3 – 1930s." YouTube. April 16, 2023. Rudolph, Nicole. "The History of Standardized Sizes in Womens Fashion and Why They FAILED." YouTube. May 16, 2021. Vintagebursche. "100 Years of Classic Menswear - and what we can learn from each decade." YouTube. February 29, 2020. Zebrowska, Karolina. "1920s Fashion Is Not What You Think It Is." YouTube. May 20, 2018.

Accessories Cox, Abby. "Flappers, Y2K, & Capitalism are Why Women "Don't" Have Pockets." YouTube. January 12, 2023. Cox, Abby. "The Disappointing Truth On Why We Don't Wear Hats Anymore..." YouTube. December 18, 2022. Rudolph, Nicole. "The History of the Iconic Cloche Hat: Making 1920s Fashion." YouTube. September 18, 2022. Rudolph, Nicole. "When Hats were Illegal: Sewing a Goth Edwardian Hat." YouTube. February 21, 2021. Sheehan, Sarah. "Neo-Egyptomania." PatternVault. December 31, 2022. Zebrowska, Karolina. "Why Did We Stop Wearing Hats?" YouTube. April 28, 2020.

Cosmetics Banner, Bernadette. "Making and Testing a Victorian Skincare Routine." YouTube. April 8, 2023. English Heritage. "1930s Makeup Tutorial | History Inspired | Feat. Amber Butchart and Rebecca Butterworth." YouTube. December 18, 2018. Holland, Evangeline. "On How to Be Lovely." Edwardian Promenade. April 15, 2010. Rudolph, Nicole. "The Controversial History of Color Season Analysis." YouTube. November 4, 2023.

Fabrics Rudolph, Nicole. "The History of Elastic." YouTube. July 4, 2021. Rudolph, Nicole. "Wearing Overalls to Boycott Fashion Greedflation? Weird History of 1920." YouTube. March 16, 2024.

Gowns and formal wear Banner, Bernadette. "I Redesigned Mary Poppins' Jolly Holiday Dress Based on REAL Edwardian Lingerie Gowns." YouTube. February 20, 2021. Banner, Bernadette. "I Remade Mary Poppins’ Dress to be Actually Edwardian." YouTube. July 9, 2022. Cox, Abby. "Alexander McQueen & the Patriarchy Problem in Modern Fashion." YouTube. October 20, 2023. Cox, Abby. "What Makes a Gown Haute Couture (like House of Worth) in Victorian and Edwardian Eras?" YouTube. September 19, 2021. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "An Edwardian Woman's Fashion Evolution." YouTube. June 4, 2022. Oakes, Leimomi. "Terminology: what is a lingerie dress or lingerie frock? (and blouse, and skirt)." The Dreamstress. July 21, 2018. Rudolph, Nicole. "Stop Idolizing Coco Chanel: a shocking history of theft." YouTube. January 13, 2024. Rudolph, Nicole. "The Truth about the Fringed Flapper: Making 1920s Evening Dresses." YouTube. November 6, 2022. Vintagebursche. "1920s Theme Party - How to dress." YouTube. December 9, 2023. Zebrowska, Karolina. "1920s Fashion Encyclopedia, Pt 1: Daywear." YouTube. November 27, 2019.

Hair care and styling Banner, Bernadette. "I Tried Following a Real Edwardian Hair Care Routine." YouTube. May 12, 2020. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "Getting Dressed in the Edwardian Era / Gibson Girl Hairstyle Tutorial." YouTube. June 12, 2020. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "Titanic-era Hair Tutorial // Getting Dressed in the 1910's." YouTube.September 4, 2020. SnappyDragon. "Historical hair myths debunked : How often should you wash your hair—daily shampoo or no shampoo?" YouTube. August 12, 2022. Zebrowska, Karolina. "Weird Edwardian Beauty Tips." YouTube. February 11, 2017.

Laundry and starching Banner, Bernadette. "Ok but how did the Edwardians WASH these dresses?" YouTube. August 3, 2022.

Outerwear Cox, Abby. "Athleisure: Destroying Fashion & the Environment." YouTube. January 18, 2024. Rudolph, Nicole. "150 years of Masc Women causing a Moral Panic." YouTube. June 17, 2023. Rudolph, Nicole. "The History of Jeans, T-shirts, and Hoodies: Time Travel 101." YouTube. March 20, 2022. Zebrowska, Karolina. "SPRING/SUMMER FASHION TRENDS REVIEW but it's 1936 (ft. original fabric samples!)." YouTube. April 22, 2022.

Shoes Rudolph, Nicole. "I Made Witchy Edwardian Shoes by Hand!" YouTube. March 14, 2021. Rudolph, Nicole. "Making 100 year old Comfy Slippers: Free Pattern!" YouTube. December 30, 2023. Rudolph, Nicole. "The Myth of Tiny Feet "Back Then"." YouTube. September 26, 2021. Rudolph, Nicole. "The True History of Stiletto Heels : the battle between Ferragamo and Dior." YouTube. August 26, 2023. Zebrowska, Karolina. "Why Is No One Talking About 1930s Shoes?" YouTube. September 15, 2020.

Undergarments Banner, Bernadette. "1903 Patented Bustle Pad Reconstruction." YouTube. June 8, 2019. Banner, Bernadette. "Achieving That Classic Edwardian Shape: Reconstructing a 1902 Bust Bodice." YouTube. April 16, 2020. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "So What are Guimpes Anyway? // Examining Antique Edwardian Guimpes." YouTube. August 21, 2020. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "They Wore Corsets in the 1920's?!" YouTube. January 29, 2022. Rudolph, Nicole. "Did Brassieres End the Corset?" YouTube. February 28, 2021. Rudolph, Nicole. "Dressing in Edwardian Clothing: Undergarments and Layers of 1907." YouTube. November 1, 2020. Rudolph, Nicole. "How Flappers got their Figure: the 1920s Silhouette." YouTube. July 10, 2022. SnappyDragon. "How pin-up photos fooled dress history : the making and marketing of lingerie pictures." YouTube. April 1, 2023.

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

Will Melania's 2025 Inauguration Outfits surpass her 2017 Ralph Lauren & Hervé Pierre outfits?

Inauguration Fashion Poll: Melania Trump

I can't imagine Melania Trump topping her 2016 Ralph Lauren Tiffany blue/powder blue suit or her Hervé Pierre "vanilla silk crepe off-the-shoulder gown with slit skirt, ruffled accent trim from neckline to hem and a claret ribbon around the waist."

Poll:

Melania Trump’s Blue Suit Pattern: Over the years I’ve studied everything I could about America’s First Ladies – from their favorite colors to their decorating schemes, and – of course – what they wore.  No matter what political opinions they or their husbands held, I think of them as an integral part of my country’s history, and a representation of what fashion was doing at the time they lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.Naturally this year I was rather curious to see what the incoming First Lady would choose for her inauguration attire, since she was a former model and is given to wearing rather expensive outfits!  While I didn’t like her inaugural ballgown at ALL, I thought her Ralph Lauren powder blue dress and matching bolero were STUNNING.  With the almost 1960s French twist in her hair, and those long, elegant gloves, she looked effortlessly classic and chic.  Honestly, I think Melania’s inaugural outfit was the most beautiful one we have seen in years. So imagine my surprise when Vogue Patterns just released a nearly identical replica of it in their Fall 2017 collection! (Vogue 9266)  Vogue Patterns nailed all the details of this design – from the crossover cowl neck to the raglan sleeves. They also show a picture of the dress without the bolero on, which you would have only noticed on Inauguration Day if you watched the luncheon in the Capitol rotunda.  (Pictures below).Both dresses have diagonal darts at the neckline and 3/4 length sleeves.  The Vogue Patterns version has looser sleeves than Melania’s, but it looks like the First Lady’s version actually took a zipper to get into the sleeves! Both versions appear to be made from a beautiful wool coating material.For my part, I think Melania Trump is a true connoisseur of fashion, and I’m certain she will go down in history as an icon of First Lady’s style.  And now I’m really tempted to buy this pattern and recreate her outfit!  Thanks to Vogue Patterns for recreating this gorgeous suit!

Happy Sewing, Katrina 

First Lady Melania Trump formally presented the gown she wore to the 2017 inaugural balls to the Smithsonian’s First Ladies Collection, Friday, Oct. 20, during a ceremony at the National Museum of American History. The gown will be displayed in the center of the museum’s popular exhibition, “The First Ladies,” beginning today.

Mrs. Trump’s dress is a vanilla silk crepe off-the-shoulder gown with a slit skirt, ruffled accent trim from neckline to hem and a claret ribbon around the waist designed by Herv­é Pierre in collaboration with Mrs. Trump. Pierre is a French American fashion and costume designer.

For decades, the First Ladies Collection has been one of the most popular attractions at the Smithsonian. The original first ladies exhibition of 1914 was the first display at the Smithsonian to prominently feature women. The exhibition itself has changed in size, location, style and narrative several times over the years.

“Today Melania Trump is taking part in a more than century-old tradition,” said John Gray, director of the museum. “The first inaugural gown donated to the Smithsonian was by Helen Taft, and more than 100 years later we are proud to have Melania Trump donate to this extraordinary collection.”

“The First Ladies” exhibition features 26 dresses and more than 160 other objects, ranging from those of Martha Washington to Melania Trump, and includes White House china, personal possessions and other objects from the Smithsonian’s unique collection of first ladies’ materials, established in 1912. Among the dresses displayed in the exhibition are Grace Coolidge’s flapper-style evening gown, Jackie Kennedy’s yellow-silk gown worn to the Kennedy administration’s first state dinner in 1961 and Eleanor Roosevelt’s slate blue crepe gown, which she wore to the 1933 inaugural ball. First ladies are unofficial but critical members of presidential administrations. For more than 200 years, the public has judged their clothes, their parties, their projects and their roles in the White House.

“It is an honor and a privilege to dedicate my inaugural gown to such an iconic exhibit at the National Museum of American History,” said First Lady Melania Trump.

The exhibition examines this in four main sections: “The Fashionable First Lady” explores the public’s interest in the first ladies’ fashions. Only a few first ladies have become fashion icons, inspiring trends and promoting American designers, but all have had their wardrobes scrutinized by the American public, continuing the debate over what is “appropriate” for presidential style.

“The Nation’s Hostess” looks at the role that the First Lady has played for the nation and the presidential administrations. Each reception or dinner is an opportunity for the First Lady to help build America’s international relationships, win political friends and public support for the President, or further his administration’s legislative agenda. Each First Lady puts her own stamp on presidential hospitality.    

“Inauguration and Opportunities” looks at the inauguration of a President as a time of optimism and new beginnings. In addition to attending ceremonies and balls, incoming first ladies often announce the agendas and special projects they intend to pursue. Some projects are ambitious. Some are traditional. Some may be controversial.

“Changing Times, Changing First Ladies” highlights Dolley Madison, Mary Lincoln, Edith Roosevelt and Lady Bird Johnson, who all fashioned their own ways of handling the White House, families, parties and politics. Through different times and circumstances, they crafted significant roles for themselves that they believed would allow them to best serve the President and the country. 

Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History explores the infinite richness and complexity of American history. It helps people understand the past in order to make sense of the present and shape a more humane future. The museum is located on Constitution Avenue N.W., between 12th and 14th Streets, and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free.

[knittinganddrinkingtea]

BB Dakota Spring 2017

Annika Krijt by Zoey Grossman

[have-you-heard-of]

Have You Heard Of?

“A man who would be intimidated by me is exactly the kind of man I would have no interest in.”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie b.September 15, 1977

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is an award-winning author and an influential advocate of feminism. She has captivated people worldwide with her powerful storytelling and her outspoken campaign for gender equality. She was born in Enugu, Nigeria, and was raised in an academic environment that surely nurtured her passion for writing. As one of six siblings she grew up in the university town of Nsukka, her Mother was the first female registrar at University of Masuka and her father was Nigeria's first professor of statistics, and later became Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the same university. She attributes her success in part to her parents for, encouraging her self-confidence and being supportive by always showing that they had confidence in her. She began studying medicine and pharmacy at the university school her parents worked at; though, writing seems to have called to her, as she also edited the magazine created by the medical students. She left her medical studies after a year and a half when at nineteen she gained a scholarship to Eastern Connecticut State University in America, where she graduated summa cum laude (with highest honours) with a degree in communication and political science and continued her passion for writing by producing articles for the university journal. She went on to gain her master’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University, become a Hodder Fellow at Princeton University, earned an MA in African Studies from Yale University, and she was awarded a fellowship by the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University. During this time, she has released numerous novels, including A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions. She holds strong feelings regarding gender equality and is proud of her femininity, taking pleasure in fashion whilst grappling with the knowledge that she will be judged for the way she chooses to dress. Her belief is that you should be happy to be who you are, without being forced into a mould society has decided fits your gender. Refusing to conform to a female academic stereotype, she loves make-up and has been the face of Boots No7 cosmetics. Now married with a daughter, she splits her time between Nigeria, where she teaches writing workshops, and the United States. All in all, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a world-renowned writer, acclaimed academic, fashion icon, beauty queen and a feminist warrior we all should have heard of.

“If you criticise X in women but do not criticise X in men, then you do not have a problem with X, you have a problem with women.”

Books and Novels

Notable Awards and Honors

35 awards, 21 are literary awards, including: Future… Award (Young Person of the Year category), 2008 Global Hope Coalition's Thought Leadership Award, 2018 Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award, 2018 UN Foundation Global Leadership Award, 2019 Africa Freedom Prize 2020 Business Insider Africa Awards, 'Creative Leader of the Year', 12 April 2022 Influential people lists including: The New Yorker's '20 Under 40', 2010 '100 Most Influential Africans 2013', New African '100 Most Influential People' by Time Magazine, 2015 Fortune Magazine's List of 50 World Leaders, 2017 'World's Most Inspiring People in 2019' by OOOM Magazine Forbes Africa's '100 Icons from Africa', 2021 'Changemakers: 100 Nigerians Leading Transformational Change', 2022

“Teach her to reject likeability. Her job is not to make herself likeable, her job is to be her full self, a self that is honest and aware of the equal humanity of other people.”

Trivia

Her childhood home was one formerly occupied by the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe

Beyoncé's song, "Flawless," features excerpts from Adichie's TED Talk.

Adichie thought she had invented purple hibiscus & was shocked to receive a call from her editor telling her they existed in America!

[campgender]

from The Preacher’s Wife: The Precarious Power of Evangelical Women Celebrities by Kate Bowler (2019)

transcript below the cut

[…] common when couples adopted an official or unofficial co-pastor model, effectively rendering themselves professionally married.

Ed and Lisa Young made national headlines for their co-authored book, Sexperiment, which found the couple in a bed on the roof of their Texas church for twenty-four live-streamed hours to chat mostly with other famous megachurch spouses about “tantalizing truths about sex as God intended.” Though Ed was temporarily treated for an eye injury sustained from the camera lights reflecting off the white bedsheets, the stunt was a rousing success.

When they challenged married couples in their twenty-five-thousand-member congregation to have sex for seven days in a row, “the guys gave us a standing ovation,” said Ed Young in his CNN interview, while Lisa chimed in that “God is the author and creator of sex.”

She sat beside her husband in a leopard-print dress, her long straight hair framing her carefully made-up face; and while she spoke a pop-up caption on the television under her read: “Married to Ed for more than 26 years. They have four children.” In advertisements, she appeared in yet another leopard-print dress, pulling her husband suggestively by the tie toward her on the couch. Sexual prowess became another bit of expected expertise in a megachurch wife’s grab bag of tricks.

There was an accepted cruelty toward famous women in ministry who failed to meet these standards. In the era of “militant feminism,” Ruth Peale begged feminists to stop warring against male exploitation and realize that the “real enemy” was their own lack of femininity. Women who didn’t want to be sexualized, she worried, might make “downright frigid” sexual partners.

Likewise, Beverly LaHaye initially felt sorry for a woman being berated by her husband for looking tired on a date, but then sympathized with the husband for not having a wife with a little more pride in herself. “What a pity to see a Christian woman who has developed her inner beauty but has done nothing to the frame she must house it in,” she fretted.

The common argument given was that men were visual creatures, which made women’s appearance a part of her wifely duties. Her beauty and her sexuality were not her own. When Ted Haggard, megachurch pastor and leader of the National Association of Evangelicals, was caught with a gay prostitute, fellow megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll publicly aired his concerns about “a wife who lets herself go and is not sexually available to her husband.”

Mark had already made headlines on his own accord for having instructed a woman in his church to give her husband a blow job as an apology for not “serving” him. There was always a woman to blame for a man who strayed.

Even the matronly Terrie Chappell, who described herself as a “meek-spirited woman of God” who serves “joyfully and faithfully” by the side of her husband, confessed her enduring wish to meet megaministry’s unrealistic standards. That perfect woman, she wrote, looks “fresh and attractive all the time. Her hair always does what she wants it to do and it’s never flat. Her fingernails are never broken.”

This ideal woman also doubled as a domestic expert who, with a submissive and cheerful spirit, “bakes everything from scratch” and always sticks to her diet. Terrie’s online ministry painted a much more realistic picture of her life as a grandmother who was never far from a prim pearl necklace and a crockpot recipe, who often helped lead an old-fashioned “Ladies Ministry” with classes called “Kindred Hearts,” “Ladies of Today,” and “H.O.M.E.” (Helping Our Mothers Excel). Her book, covered in images of cupcakes, lingered on the trials of putting up floral wallpaper and learning to be patient.

In 2017, the average megachurch wife was around Terrie’s age, wrestling with approaching retirement, and lightly out of step with American culture. She was hardly the sexpot that dominated the marketing of the women in the highest rungs of megaministry, strutting across the mainstage, but audiences still seemed to want her to try.

[thececeverse]

Japanese Influencer Chouka Aikawa Makes Her Debut—And Netizens Are Pleasantly Surprised

April 6th, 2024

by E. Cha

After signing to Republic Records and Avex Trax at the end of last year, Japanese fashion influencer, YouTuber, and heiress Chouka Aikawa has finally made her debut as a singer. Since 2015, Aikawa has been prominent within the world of fashion. Her blog, Love Moda, began to see huge amounts of success by 2017, and unlike most 18-year-olds, Aikawa was seeing invites to fashion events across the world. Her namesake YouTube channel was launched the same year, and it has now gone on to amass over 11 million subscribers in just six years.

With her successful career as an influencer and status as the sole heiress to the Aikawa Group’s $480 billion fortune, many were wondering why Aikawa wanted to break into the music industry. Prior to December of last year, she had expressed little to no interest in beginning a music career, nor had she displayed any musical talents. So, of course, her signing to two major players in the music industry was surprising to many of her fans.

However, just as the New Year was approaching, Aikawa would take to social media to wish her fans a Happy New Year, as well as to promise them a music debut in the first quarter of 2024.

It was a pleasant surprise for Aikawa’s fans, and reactions ranged from ecstatic to confused. Some were even mildly skeptical, as her singing ability was a complete mystery. For the most part, it looks like everyone was eager to see what Aikawa had in store. And it wasn’t just her fans, either. The music industry and the general public as a whole were itching to weigh in on her debut.

YouTubers and influencers tend to have a bad reputation with releasing their own music, and many were waiting to see if Aikawa would unfortunately succumb to the same fate. But fortunately for her, it was the exact opposite. Aikawa’s debut single, “Girls Don’t Cry,” is a dreamy and lighthearted pop track that talks about the plights women face in society. The song’s music video garnered over 32 million views within its first 24 hours, and it immediately shot to the top spot on YouTube’s trending page. However, what did the viewers think?

Overall, reception was overwhelmingly positive. Fans loved the “girlishness” of the track and how Aikawa stuck to her classic hyperfeminine aesthetic, and critics hailed the fresh-sounding production. What everyone was most surprised at, though, was how good of a singer Aikawa was.

Fans were all over social media praising her vocals and how clear she sounded, despite her “breathy” voice and unique accent. The shock from fans and critics only grew larger, however, when the song’s producer—music industry legend Max Martin—revealed on his Instagram that no autotune was used to pitch correct Aikawa’s vocals, praising her diction skills. That certainly threw fans for a loop, and Martin’s words became a hot topic across the internet, certainly making praise towards Aikawa increase.

“Girls Don’t Cry” is slated to enter the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, but some say it could even enter the Top 10. We’ll have to wait and see where Aikawa’s budding music career takes her, but we wish her all the best for now.

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ WHAT DO NETIZENS THINK … ?!

[+2090, -91] oh my god chouka’s debut is actually so incredible … like genuinely so pleasantly surprised she did such a good job !

[+2074, -82] found out chouka can sing today … love that for her actually like c’mon princess of pop

[+2012, -59] rich as fuck, can dress, has a man that literally worships the ground she walks on, and now a critically acclaimed debut ….. aikawa chouka has it all i fear

[+1895, -88] she’s kinda like wonyoung but 5 years older idk

[+2009, -27] gabbie hanna found DEAD !

[schnaideranton]